Effects of morphology and stability of retained austenite on the ductility of TRIP-aided bainitic steels

In order to improve the ductility of carbide free bainitic microstructures, consisting of a bainitic ferrite matrix and a mixture of austenite and martensite, the TRIP effect i.e. the strain induced transformation of retained austenite to martensite, should be controlled. In this sense, the effect of the chemical composition on the mechanical stability of the retained austenite and the morphology, size, and distribution of this phase has been studied to determine the role that plays on the ductility behaviour of advanced bainitic steels. Results suggest that apart of the retained austenite, the morphology of the bainitic matrix is an important factor controlling ductility. Bainitic microstructures formed by coiling with coarse and blocky bainite morphology have shown higher uniform deformation values than those obtained by air cooling with the typical thin bainite platelets.